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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1'. J. S. GRITGHLEY, I.'SINGER & H. A. A. DOMBRAIN.

MACHINE FOR PRESSINGAND FINISHING FABRICS.

Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

(No Model.) 4 S hets-Sh0et 2.-

J. S. ORITOHLEY, I. SINGER 85H. A. A. DOMBRAIN. MACHINE FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING FABRICS.

No; 484,702. Patented 0011.18, 1-892.-

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 3.

J. S. GRITGHLEY, I. SINGER &; H. A. A. DOMBRAIN. MACHINE FOB. PRESSING AND FINISHING FABRICS.

No. 484,702. Patented 00t. 18, 1892.

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o 0: H LLo o ri o 0 3H 2 o o H O H 1 O 1 (No Model.) 4 ShetsSheet 4.

J. S. ORITG-HLEY', I. SINGER & H. A. A. DOMBRAIN. MAGHINB FQR PRBSSING AND FINISHING FABRICS.

No. 484,702. Patented Oct. 18, 1892.

?/-I-' ,IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIi 70-711 a l/[Ill UNrrnn ST TES JAMES S. CRITOHLEY, OF ILKLEY, IGNATIUS SINGER, OF KEIGHLEY, AND HENRY A. A. DOMBRAIN, OF ADDINGHAM, NEAR LEEDS, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR PRESSING AND FINISHING FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 484,702, dated October 18, 1892.

Application filed August 27, 1891- Serial No. 403,871. (No model.) Patented in England May 6, 1891, No. 7,837; in France August 17, 1891, No. 215,554; in Belgium August 17, 1891, No. 96,037; in Germany August 18, 1891, No. 63,488, and in Austria-Hungary May 13, 1892, No. 2,663 and No.14,691.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES SIDNEY CRI'roH- LEY, residing at Yew Bank, Ilkley, IGNATIUS SINGER, residing at 13 Holker Street, Keighley, and HENRY ATHELSTAN AoWoRTH DOM- BRAIN, residing at High House, Addingham, near Leeds, in the county of York, England, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain, have invented a new and useful Machine for Pressing and Finishing Fabrics, (for which we have obtained patents in the following countries: Great Britain, dated May 6, 1891, No. 7,837; France, dated August 17, 1891, No. 215,554; Belgium, dated August 17, 1891, No. 96,037, Austria-Hungary, dated May, 13, 1892, No. 2,663 and No. 14,691, and Germany, dated August 18, 1891, No. 63,488,) of which the following is a specification.

For pressing and finishing fabrics according to the methods usually practiced there is required a large expenditure of time and laher in the repeated folding, papering, and pressing to which the fabric has to be subjected, the folding, unfolding, and refolding involving a great amount of manipulation.

Our invention has for its object to abridge the time and reduce the labor involved in this process by subjecting the fabric to the action of apparatus which effects the pressing and finishing rapidly and continuously without requiring any manipulation of the fabric eX cept that which is necessary for introducing it to the machine and removing it therefrom. For this purpose we construct and work apparatus such as we shall describe, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side elevation of a machine embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan thereof, and Fig. 4; is a transverse section on the line Z Z of Fig 1 of a pressing and finishing machine according to our invention.

In suitable side frames A are provided bearings for the axes of two rows of rollers, the bearings of the lower rollers B being stationary, those of the upper rollers R arranged to slide vertically and pressed down by levers L, with adjustable loads Z, which may be weights, as shown, or might be springs, so that each upper roller R is made to bear with such pressure as may be desired on two of the lower rollers R, and in order that each upper roller may bear fairly on the two lower rollers the bearings of the axes of the upper rollers are made with a little side play, so that the rollers accommodate themselves to their position.

All the rollers R R are hollow and are all provided with unions for pipes P P by which heating or cooling fluids can be supplied or circulated through them.

\Ve supply steam to a number of the rollers toward the left end of the machine by pipes P, admitting the steam and discharging the water of condensation, and through a smaller number toward the right we circulate cooling-Water admitted and discharged by the pipes P The rollers R are all driven in the one direction, as indicated by the arrow r, and the rollers R are all driven at the same surface speed in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow W, by gearing of the following kind: B and O are two shafts geared together, so as to revolve in opposite directions, either of them having on it the fast and loose pulleys D, driven by belt from any suitable motor. By bevel gear the shaft B drives an upright shaft E, and E drives a horizontal shaft G at one side of the machine. At the other side the shaft 0 drives an upright shaft F, and F drives a horizontal shaft H. On the shafts G and H are worms K, which gear with worm-wheels on the lower rollers R, the worms on each side moving alternate rollers, and the worm-wheel in each case on the axis of a lower roller R gears with a corresponding obliquely-toothed wheel on one of the upper rollers R At theleft end of the machine are two rollers M and at the right end are two other rollers rollers R, and a corresponding apron Q is passed half around the upper rollers M and N and under all the rollers R these aprons belng tightened by the action of the springs S or their equivalents.

The machine operates in the following manner: A web of fabric which has to be finished on both sides or when only one side has to be finished, two webs of fabric back to back or a single web rigged or folded double, presenting on the outer sides the surfaces that are to be finished, are fed iii between the aprons as they pass between the rollers M, and are carried along with them, exposed to the pressure and heating from the first set of the rollers and to the pressure and cooling from the last set, until thefabric issues from between the rollers N with its surfaces more or less finished. The operation may be repeated several times, if necessary. In order to fix the finish on the fabric, it is sometimes necessary to expose it to the action of lowpressure steam. This may be done by operating on it in a separate machine inclosed in a casing to which steam is admitted; or a machine such as is above described may be divided into two parts, that part which contains the heated rollers being inclosed in a casing supplied with steam.

The metallic aprons are an important element of our combination, in that they can be made exceedingly thin for the purpose of imparting heat to the fabric and at the same time rendering them susceptible of withstanding powerful tension, to which they are subjected when being drawn or pulled between the upper and lower rows or sets of rollers. In order to impart the requisite heat to the fabric which is to be pressed and finished, it is essential that the aprons be made exceedingly thin; but as these aprons are subjected to great tension it is important that they be of such material that while imparting heat to the fabric they can be drawn or pulled between the upp r and lower rollers.

In the practicable use of a pressing and finishing machine of the character described and shown many fabrics require a pressure of about a ton on some of the rollers, and obviously to attempt to draw, pull, or drag an ordinary textile apron under such a pressure would be impossible, as it would tear apart. In addition to the foregoing, it is important that some of the upper and some of the lower rollers be heated and some cooled, for otherwise the fabric could only be finished on one side. In our invention the fabric is finished on both sides. The cooling is a necessary feature, for otherwise the fabric, if it were discharged from the machine in a hot condition, would become cockled, like a sheet of paper that has been dampened, and lose its finished surface. In our invention the aprons travel at uniform speed and all of the rollers are driven independent of the traveling metallic aprons. one of the upper rollers be pressed toward a lower roller by its individual adjustable weight in order that the pressure can be varied at each nip of the fabric between an upper roller and a lower roller.

Having thus described the nature of this invention and the best means we know for carrying the same into practical effect, we claim An apparatus for pressing and finishing fabrics, consisting of a framework, a gang of upper rollers and a gang of lower rollers journaled on the framework, the guide and stretcher rollers at the end of the framework, means for heating some of the rollers and cooling others of each gang, an adjustable weight for pressing each upper roller toward a lower roller, a pair of endless flexible metallic aprons engaging the guide and stretcher rollers and one of which passes under the 1P- per rollers While the other passes over the lower rollers, and gearing for positively rotating each upper and each lower roller, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 31st day of July, A. D. 1891.

JAMES S. CRITOHLEY. I. SINGER. H. A. A. DOMBRAIN.

Witnesses:

RD. B. NIoHoLLs, I-I. BURT SMITH.

It is also important that each 

